PhD Studentship : PhD on Enhancing General Practitioner Workforce Wellbeing with Actionable Performance Intelligence

Host

Prof Simon de Lusignan

Background

General practitioner (GP) shortages have reached critical levels across Europe, with over 40% of GPs in the UK considering leaving the profession within the next five years. This shortage is compounded by increasing international mobility within the healthcare workforce. Job dissatisfaction, particularly driven by diagnostic uncertainty, burnout, and poor work-life balance, are among the leading causes of GP turnover. However, evidence on effective strategies to retain GPs remains limited. Current interventions often fail to address the root causes of burnout or focus on individual-level solutions rather than systemic factors.

This research aims to fill this gap by integrating qualitative and quantitative data to develop performance intelligence systems capable of identifying factors influencing GP retention, wellbeing, and productivity. The project will also explore how these strategies can be scaled across different healthcare contexts, ensuring that interventions are adaptable and inclusive, contributing to a more sustainable and equitable healthcare workforce.

Your experience

• A Masterʼs degree in health services research, epidemiology, public health, health economics, applied statistics, biomedical sciences, or a medical degree with relevant experience.
• Demonstrated proficiency in quantitative methods and experience with programming tools such as R, Stata, Python, or similar. An interest in acquiring new data science and programming skills is required.
• A strong interest in health services research, with experience and enthusiasm for engaging with stakeholders across healthcare systems.
• An excellent academic track record, with scientific curiosity and a commitment to rigorous research.
• Fluent written and spoken English.

In addition, the following experience would be helpful, but not essential:

• Previous involvement in health services research projects.
• Experience with project management, including coordinating tasks, managing timelines, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to achieve research objectives.
• Demonstrated adaptability, curiosity, problem-solving skills, and leadership capabilities.
• Experience in studying European healthcare systems, particularly in the context of health system performance assessment

We are seeking a highly motivated and resourceful aspiring researcher to join our interdisciplinary team for cutting edge doctoral research. This position offers the opportunity to work at the intersection of health services research, epidemiology, and data science, engaging with clinical and managerial stakeholders to create meaningful impact within healthcare systems.

Our offer

This 3-year PhD position is funded by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Horizon Europe Guarantee scheme and will be embedded in the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions of the European Unionʼs Horizon Europe research and innovation program under grant agreement No 101168576. You will be appointed as fulltime PhD for 3 years with the University of Oxford. The Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) programme offers a highly competitive and attractive salary and working conditions. The successful candidates will receive a salary in accordance with the MSCA regulations for early-stage researchers. Exact salary will be confirmed upon appointment. In addition to their individual scientific projects, all fellows will benefit from further continuing education, which includes internships and secondments, a variety of training modules as well as transferable skills courses and active participation in workshops and conferences.

Your application

See recruitment procedure. You can apply using the online application form. For more information about the position you can contact simon.delusignanpa@phc.ox.ac.uk and bernardo.meza-torres@phc.ox.ac.uk at CIHORG.

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